The Allman Brothers Band’s 1971 live double-album, At Fillmore East, was an incredible benchmark statement not only for the group but as well for every live recording by any artist that followed, 50 years and counting.  So when the ABB’s archive began issuing live collections from its vault it was easy to use Fillmore East as a kind of lode star for the sextet’s performances, pre and post that magical March ’71 run in Manhattan.  This latest release, from the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh in January of 1971, has all the hallmarks of its timing: a similar setlist to Fillmore; healthy extended jams on a few cuts; and, of course, the impressively telepathic twin-guitar interplay that changed rock music.

The recording itself is much closer to a bootleg than multi-tracked mix, and as such there is an earful of percussion that dominates an otherwise scorching “Don’t Keep Me Wondering” on this recovered gem.  Gregg Allman’s voice, as expected, sits prominently in the house mix, and brother Duane’s slide work and the guitar of fellow ace, Dickey Betts, cut through still quite well.  By the midway point- on “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”- the sonic balance among the six is established and remains so throughout the rest of the hour-plus recording. 

All the hints of what eventually would be Fillmore’s prize moments are also foreshadowed: thundering drums; Berry Oakley’s lead bass lines underpinning ultra-confident, patient, vibrato-ringing runs (fighting through the feedback) from Betts; scintillating counters from Duane that find a peak, then somehow another as they climax with a glistening attack.  Following a stable “Midnight Rider,” it’s back to the nexus of psychedelic blues and amphetamine rock-and-roll stretching “You Don’t Love Me” to the 15-minute mark, then driving the “Whipping Post” finale past 20 minutes, full of the band’s darkened vitality and invention. 

This was a beloved bootleg that circulated for decades amongst collectors.  Cleaned up as well as modern technology allows, it’s still a bit rough, and a bit prone to some emphasis in the wrong spots.  Sift through those minor details, though, and focus on the playing, the symbiosis, and the bubbling strength of the repertoire that would boil over eight weeks later, and this is a pre-Fillmore outing integral to the narrative, but powerful enough to stand alone.